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Countryboy build in SC, US

New to the forum, so wanted to introduce myself and give a quick sketch of my upcoming build.... I'm in Winnsboro, SC and interested in meeting other area builders as well as see other ovens.

My wife has been making most of our bread for several years and has taken an interest in artisan breads as well as outdoor cooking. Pizza is a strong plus, but being from a small country town I've probably never had REALLY good pizza more than a couple times.

That said, I read about a brick oven while on one of my favorite Aussie forums (backyardaquaponics.com) and was hooked! So, I am getting ready to start a patio add-on/pseudo kitchen build with a 42" pompeii.

Quick question: I can get light duty firebrick locally for .70 each and medium duty for .88 each... I will likely cut/shape bricks with a chisel. In the opinion of the wiser folk here, which is the better route to go for bread baking?

Also, is a 42" pompeii a decent enough size to squeeze 6 loaves at a time into?

Long day today... Weather has been brutally hot, but yesterday evening after work my boys and I started to get things set up for the foundation pour. I had no idea how much dirt I was/am going to have to move to keep things level with the rest of the patio..

Attached are a couple 'before' pics. The plan is to have the WFO in the right corner against/close to the shop wall and a fireplace in the left corner with a couple counters built in.

Today we took out the privacy fences on both sides which originally enclosed an above ground pool. Next we dug most of the footers and then started the monster task of moving several tons of dirt and sand to level the area... No pics after today, but will get some before the weekend.

Really debated what to do with the wall on the shop that faces the patio. Had planned on painting this year, but wood in a number of places needs repair or replacing. Then, once the oven and fireplace are in, future painting would be out of the question... Considered vinyl siding, but that is too pricey. Looked at other quick covers that are longer term, but settled on stucco. Later this summer I can stucco the rest of the shop and it will improve the look while being cost effective and a decent DIY project...

Right now the goal is to get the foundation and patio slab poured by late next week...

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My AP system is going gangbusters. Here is a thread that details construction and the results... Jump to the last couple pages to see the current production. Besides 250 tilapia in the aquaponics system, we have 34 laying hens and 100 broilers we raise and eat/trade. (44 go in the freezer next weekend.)

Interesting name there, BP. Been reading up on permaculture and am taking the dirt we remove and building a berm on the downhill side of my blueberries to catch runoff better.

Still hoping for some guidance on the brick, but don't need to purchase for a week or two.

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Thanks for the AP link, am looking at tilapia ponds myself. I'll look at your thread, thanks. As far as the bricks are concerned, at that price, I would by the highest quality brick for sure. As stated, they are $3 to 5 each in some places.

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Thanks for the info, lwood. Might need to export brick at that differential.

A side note, an American APer was in the Philippines not long ago teaching... Check fastonline.org to read about Travis Hughey and how he was helping some there get started... If you are thinking tilapia ponds, AP might be a really good system to research as the fish help fertilize plants, while plants reduce need for water changes by handling the filtration and nitrate load for you. Great symbiosis!!

Late on Friday afternoon here... Can't wait to get off work as I am looking forward to the weekend so I can get back to shoveling dirt... Priced concrete today. $93/yard delivered... Can't go wrong there. Just checking on colorants to see if I want to get it dyed/stained to match the stone on the rest of the patio.

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I'm certainly not one of the wiser ones here, but would recommend downloading the free Pompeii plans from the site here. From your pics, it appears you have the skillset to use a wet saw to it's fullest and can build a 'tighter' oven than one built using chiseled bricks. Doing this will also cut down on your mortar costs considerably.

At $.70/brick, you can't go wrong building a 42" Pompeii and you will most likely find many more delicious things to cook in it besides bread and pizza. From what I understand, cooking 15-18lbs of bread in a 42" creates the optimum oven spring so will cover six loaves and then some.

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I'm certainly not one of the wiser ones here, but would recommend downloading the free Pompeii plans from the site here. From your pics, it appears you have the skillset to use a wet saw to it's fullest and can build a 'tighter' oven than one built using chiseled bricks. Doing this will also cut down on your mortar costs considerably.

At $.70/brick, you can't go wrong building a 42" Pompeii and you will most likely find many more delicious things to cook in it besides bread and pizza. From what I understand, cooking 15-18lbs of bread in a 42" creates the optimum oven spring so will cover six loaves and then some.

Thanks, Gianni!

Was outside digging and a passing thunderstorm chased us inside. Checking email and saw your post. Appreciate the compliment on the skillset.

My larger concern was not the ability to use the saw, but the cost... May have a line on one I can borrow, but have to track it down. (I have located a cement mixewr I can borrow, but may have to repair the 6 horse gas motor...) I do have a metal chopsaw in my shop that is tough as nails and old as dirt... Might try to convert it for some basic cutting on the complex corners...

42" it is! Gonna go with the medium duty bricks... Researching cement colorant techniques to try to get the concrete pad to match existing stone patio. May have found a quick/easy solution that will be attractive. With a pale yellow/tan color on the stuccoed walls of the shop, and warm tans/browns in teh stone as well as the brick house I have all kinds of options dancing in my head... Have to control the impulses and get a clear picture so as to stay within my very limited budget!! LOL!

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I cut my bricks with a diamond blade from Harbor Freight and a small angle grinder. Even when I couldn't cut all the way thru, it weakened it sufficently to knock it off with a hammer and clean it up with the diamond blade.

Chuck

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How well/how long did the blade hold up? I have found some $70-$90 14" blades that will cut wet or dry... That would fit the chop saw for complex stuff, but I have several angle grinders, so the cheaper/smaller blades may be just the ticket if they'll last a while...

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Well, another long day in the heat moving dirt... Had some help, as the pics show, but felt like I spent a lot of time "encouraging" them to get back to work... LOL!

The previous pics don't really relay the huge amount of dirt we hade to move to level the whole area so the pad would be the same level as the existing patio. I thought about leaving it and having a step up, but in the end decided to level it, despite the huge amount of work... Will be glad later, I am sure. a bit sore and tired right now with a little left before forming it up.

Have been researching options for how to dress up the concrete pad and have found a local company that sells acid etch to color the concrete... May use a stencil of mold when pouring, or may cut a design in it shortly after poring to simulate stone. See Specialty Concrete Products | specialty concrete products for ideas.

Also, while digging we stumbled on a water pipe under ground that I am not sure what it is hooked up to (somewhere under the house) as it had water in it but no pressure. Anyway, we teed a section and pulled it up where I planned a counter top... Guess there will be a sink there if I can find the end of the line and tie it into the plumbing. Will add a drain line and figure out how to tie it to the septic or drainfield later.

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All your outdoor sink really needs is to drain to a nearby french drain, a holed section at the end of the pipe and some gravel. No elaborate plumbing needed.

You are correct. I pondered that as I lay in bed last night. The drainfield runs by about 4-6' away, so that is one option, but I have considered that it may try venting through the drain leaving an unpleasant aroma on the patio... Next option, and probably better, as you state is a simple downhill run of drain field with slits in it. Wouldn't have to bury very deep and it would suffice as I do not expect a lot of water to run through it or any chunky stuff besides a little pizza dough.